Alive in shadows
by Aralka
Summary: Even though, a small part of his mind knew that it was their hour of death, neither of two shinobis felt so alive ever before. ShikaIno, InoShika oneshot.


A/N: Whoo-hoo!I managed to post it before weekend!

This fic is inspired by a fabulous idea which belongs to _**Crystal Koneko**_;I know I don't need to put credits, but I have a special message for you: I'm sorry. You had such a great idea and I made such crap out of it. I'm really sorry. But, I want you to know that I TRIED.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

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The Leaf village had usually formed a team of three to carry out various missions. As the ninjas grew up and joined various organizations, like ANBU, the number of their teammates increased.

However, the Spying Unite in Konoha had just the opposite system. Teams were often sent with only two members, rarely one. The sleuth assignment was based on silence, reducing the risk to be caught to minimum. Teammates communicated with each other by knowledge of other's character and trust.

Two shinobi's were more than enough to carry out a spying task without a scratch.

And that's how we find two familiar Konoha ninja's on their way back home. The assignment went smoothly despite some complications so Ino Yamanaka and Shikamaru Nara were hurrying towards their home from Wave country.

"Ino! Wait up!" Shikamaru shouted to the girl in front. Her light body halted rapidly and spun towards the shadow master, who also stopped.

"What? If we won't hurry, the sun will set soon!" The blonde glanced nervously around. Indeed, the whole surroundings were covered in red and orange light, coming from the bright ball of fire on the west.

"Exactly. We won't make it to the gate and, therefore, we should use the last bit of lights to set up the camp before night falls. Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed, jumping on the ground from a branch. Ino still hadn't move.

"This seems like a good spot. It's covered so the chances of Wave shinobis to catch us is reduced as much as possible...and the stream is quite near...Oi! Ino, get down already! I won't set up the camp by myself, it's too troublesome!" The boy shouted once again to his teammate.

That seemed to do the trick. Ino twitched and jumped down as well.

"Isn't there a way to get back to Konoha before night? I don't feel like sleeping outside..." The girl fidgeted a little, bringing her sleeping bag out of the backpack.

Shikamaru shook his head. "No chance. If the mission went as planned, we wouldn't be forced to run from those wave ninjas. Now, we have to mislead them by landing on every tree, so our directions will be mixed. Troublesome."

Ino's face colored a little. "It's not my fault! You should have known better than trapping that guy in your shadow technique!"

The Nara scowled. "Oh, this is my fault then, eh? He was trying to hurt you. We were discovered and how the hell was I supposed to communicate with you? You told them that you're from Konoha, in fact!"

It was the girl's turn to scowl. "It just slipped, alright? Happens to everyone!"

The man shrugged turning his back on his teammate. "I never accused you of anything, just pointed out an obvious fact."

"I can clearly see the accusation in your voice, Shika!" The woman glared at the retreating form of her companion. Total understatement and knowledge of each other's character as we see. A perfect team.

"Bah, this is how I always talk, troublesome woman. I'm going to inspect the surroundings a little better, so that we'll know our chances in case of attack. Stay here so we won't get lost, alright?" He looked carefully at the pouting and glaring girl, whose expression turned into a nervous and moody in a split of second. Talk about mood swings.

"Yea, right. Just...just come back soon, alright?"

"Troublesome. I'll come back as soon as I can."

With a final nod, he disappeared in the bushes.

Ino let out a huge sigh, placing both hands on her flaming cheeks. She looked towards the west and then to the long shadows on the ground.

_What am I going to do now?_

Shikamaru walked through the forest, careful to remember everything that might be useful in the future. His genius mind was already forming many escape plans, each of them improving with every detail he noticed. His path was a rather large circle around their camping spot and he walked it many times and, on top of that slowly. He was so busy taking in even the smallest roads that he lost the track of time. Such small things, like that almost invisible, incredibly rocky way could be their lifesaver.

Finally, when he couldn't see anymore and, as he thought, there was no way an enemy could get them, he went back towards the camp.

The whole area was dark. There were either clouds or it was a night with no moon. Every flicker of light was visible for miles.

So, Shikamaru's sensitive and tensed senses caught the dim beam of flame, shining through the thick wall of leaves, He swiftly grabbed a kunai and trying his best not to make a sound, crept towards the source.

If I wrote that he was utterly surprised when he saw what was behind the bushes, it would be a lie.

Let's just say that Shikamaru suspected to witness the sight he got.

"Ino!" He whispered nervously, hiding the weapon back to the pouch. "What are you thinking? We can be easily seen! Put it out, now!"

"Shika!" startled, the girl jumped, almost letting go of the small, fading match. "I thought you'd never return! What took you so long?"

"Never mind that, just put it-" the match made a hissing sound and went off-"...out."

For a moment there was only silence. Neither of them moved.

Shikamaru gulped slightly. This was getting much too troublesome for his likening.

He was alone in the night, in the middle of a forest. There was a group of enemy who were hot on their heels, maybe in the next corner.

To make things worst, Ino was with him. They have to spend the night together, in a dark forest.

That spelled one: Trouble.

"Sh-Shika? A-Are you still here?" A quiet squeal ringed in the clearing, making it sound as if it was a shout. Shikamaru winced as he imagined how would her real shout sound.

"Yea. Go to sleep, I'll take the first shift." Slowly, he regained his composure. His eyes already got used to the darkness and he could make out the lines of Ino's body on the ground and the pile that was her sleeping bag. Moving to his own backpack, he took out his own parody of a bed and laid down, closing his eyes although not falling asleep. Just the opposite, he kept his senses tensed.

He heard quiet and unsure footsteps and then shifting of a material. Ino got inside the warm fabric and laid down as well.

Alright. Now, he had to wait until it was Ino's turn to keep guard and then, after few hours of well-deserved sleep, they would get to Konoha.

Shifting of a fabric interrupted his thoughts. He waited a little to see if his teammate wanted something, then went back to his own business.

More shifting. Man, that girl had really troublesome dreams. Why was she rolling towards him, like that? And what's with her curling up like this? And what's this-

Oh damn. That sounded like a whimper.

Night. Darkness. Sleeping bag. Ino. Whimper.

That wasn't just trouble. That was troublesome with big 'T'.

Sighing, he crawled out of the warm and uncomfortable sheet and went to the sleeping girl.

"Oi, Ino. Wake up, girl." He shook her slightly. Whimpering increased.

"I'm n-n-not a-a-asleep, baka." Came a hiccuping voice from the purple fabric.

"Then why the hell were you making such noises? Hey! If you're not asleep, what were you...wait..." his eyes widened when he forced the covers from her face and by accident his hand slipped on her face. It was wet.

"Nothing! I was doing nothing!" Ino turned her back to him and rolled over. Shikamaru brought his finger to his mouth and licked.

Salty.

"Ino...why were you crying?" softly, he touched her shoulder. The motion brought an even harsher sob from the girl. Next seconds passed in silence until the Yamanaka lifted herself a little and turned her face again towards him.

Shikamaru's heart sped up rapidly. Even through such darkness, his eyes could make out the softened features on her face and blue eyes, full of tears.

Although, maybe the color of those eyes was just his mind. After all, he would never forget SUCH orbs...

"Promise not to laugh?" she asked quietly, moving a little closer to the boy. He shivered, when their shoulders brushed. There was this strange and suddenly strong desire to pull her closer, into his arms and he barely kept his hands to himself.

"Well? Promise?" She asked impatiently and Shikamaru nodded. How could he even consider smiling while she was like this, crying her eyes out?

No way he would laugh now, even if she told him the funniest joke in the world. Nothing seemed funny when she was sad.

"I'm...I'm afraid of the dark..." Ino whispered quietly, bowing her head. One of pale hands was tightly gripping his sleeve.

Shikamaru blinked. That's it?

Well, that would surely explain her hesitating when it came to camping for night. Shika grinned with great relief. He was afraid that she didn't want to be with him and so, he left the camping spot for so much time.

Because, if she didn't want to be near the Nara he won't force her, no matter how much HE wanted to be near her.

"Hmmm..." Thoughtfully, the boy hummed, stroking his chin. He blushed, thanking for the shadows covering his face. "Well...maybe if we slept near each other, it would help you?"

Ino looked at him and he shifted nervously, not knowing what to expect.

However, after few seconds she nodded and he hurried or the second sleeping bag. Spreading it on the ground, just beside hers, Shikamaru laid down. "Goodnight." He whispered, with his eyes set on her face, barely visible in dark. She answered and went deeper under the cover.

The man sighed, trying not to fall asleep and, at the same time, not to think how good it felt to have Ino so close. His eyelids got heavier and heavier, his mind started to wander...

Uh-oh. There was that shifting sound again.

Cracking one eye open, the young man noticed the girl slowly slipping into his open sleeping bag. Right now, her one half was still in the purple one while the other was in the green.

Shikamaru watched with wide eyes as the other leg joined the first and brushed over his. Then, her whole body rolled closer to his and he could feel hot breath on his naked chest.

Alarms went off inside his head. If it continues like this, he may lose all control he'd been building up inside him, since the boy went into beautiful age of growing up...

Finally deciding that he didn't care if he was being beaten up for it later, the boy slid a protective arm around her frame and pulled her body even closer. It was a fair transaction, really. He gave her comfort, she gave him warmth. He was about to let himself dream a little, when something caught his attention.

A branch snapped.

The Nara lifted himself and looked around, trying to make out something in the black area. He could swear that some creature just flew past their camp, over their bags.

For a moment, there was just tensed silence, while Shikamaru sharpened all his senses.

As it proved, it was worth something, the troublesome effort. A kunai brushed his right cheek, leaving a red mark.

Shit!

Without missing a minute, the boy grabbed the sleeping girl's arm and pulled her up. Now, he could 'see' at least five enemy ninjas surround the couple.

Still holding onto Ino's hand, he turned around and rushed towards the rocky path he'd seen.

'They had to see that I was...uh, distracted for a while and they used it. Shit. We're on a spy mission, there are two of us. We can't afford to fight them, at least not until the sun rises and actual shadows will be created. We can only flee, for now.'

With a sharp turn, the boy finally turned onto the familiar path, with the still half-asleep girl behind. For now, he ignored her whispered nervously questions and just kept running along the road until...

Oh, damn. How troublesome.

He forgot to check where it led. Apparently, it was a dead end, with sharp cliffs.

The boy gulped, feeling sweat drip down his neck. He slowly turned to Ino, who was now wide-awake staring at her teammate.

"Ino...uh, I don't know how to say it, but..."

"That's...the end?"

"Uh...I guess it is. Troublesome, eh?"

Ino swallowed audibly. Their future killers hadn't get there, not yet at least. Avoiding her eyes, Shikamaru turned to the sharp rocks, hoping for some way out. Almost blindly, he touched the edges, wincing at the cuts his palm got. A pair of slender arms warped around his torso from behind, stopping his motion.

"It's not THAT troublesome, really. I'm just...kinda glad that it'll be you who will die with me. Not some stranger."

The Nara squeezed his eyes tightly and stayed silent. The girl had other plans in her mind, it seems, than letting him die a quiet and peaceful death.

"I think you should know a few things. I won't be able to die in peace if I won't tell you. You know, I pressed on Tsunade to assign you on this mission. I wanted to accomplish it with YOU. Because I like you. A lot, actually. I have no idea why I didn't tell you before."

Shikamaru felt his eyes go wide and few small drips fell down. He spun to face the girl and grabbed her shoulders.

"What are you talking about? I pressed on Tsunade to be with you on this mission because I didn't want you to go with that idiot, Razu!" Ino stared at him, a little shocked, he guessed and then unexpectedly chuckled.

"Heh...poor Tsunade. She was pressed by both of us. No wonder she let us go together." However, the smile quickly faded and was replaced by look of worry and fear.

"Shikamaru...I'm scared. I don't want to die like this...not in darkness."

Oh damn. The tears were starting to form again in her eyes.

"Don't worry. Just close your eyes, come on...it won't be that bad, I promise." Seems like Ino did as he said, because he could see her eyelashes move. Taking a shaky breath, he traced her chin and cheek with his finer, then the whole palm. His hand softly brushed bangs out of her face, that stupid, big one that always covered half of it, and tucked them behind her ears. The, he brushed over he closed eyes and moved down to the rosy lips. His thumb softly touched them, parting slightly.

He noticed how she shivered and preparing himself for all consequence he'd later have to face, he brought his thin, bloodless lips to her red and full.

At first, she was surprised but then, she responded and man, was she a good kisser! Feeling no resistance, Shikamaru brought his arms to encircle her waist and pulled her closer to him, as if trying to create a total union. He could feel her own arms sneak to his neck, pulling him down even more. When he felt the need for air, they parted and he traced her neck and collarbone with delicate, small kisses. That seemed to please her a lot and when she quietly emanated a moan, he smirked to himself.

Her hands were currently stroking his hair, freed from the topknot. Shikamaru could feel her body with ever fiber of his being and he longed for more so much that it almost hurt.

Even though, a small part of his mind knew that it was their hour of death, neither of two shinobis felt so alive ever before.

* * *

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A tall, long haired man commented to his comrades.

"I see that you've been enjoying yourself while I did all the dirty work, eh? Had fun, Tenten?"

The woman grinned. "Let them be like this for a while longer, Neji. I think they deserved it."

"A while longer? They've been like this for last half an hour! Come to think of it, I never knew Shikamaru could do something so troublesome on his own will.." The blonde standing in the behind looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Yea. We should stop them before they'll start to make out on our eyes. Ain't that right, Akamaru?" The last member voiced his opinion.

Both energetic ninja grinned with pleasure, imaging teasing their lazy friend...

Tenten and the Hyuuga sighed simultaneously.

_Tsunade had to be nuts when she put those two perverted idiots as a back up for Shikamaru and Ino...

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A/N: I will be posting an alternative ending in my drabbles collection soon. That's all. 


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